Course identity
PHYS 202L and PHYS 232L share this Physics Lab 2 resource page. If Canvas lists either code, this is the correct lab hub.
Start with Canvas and the current syllabus.
Use Canvas for official lab meeting details, assigned experiment numbers, due dates, submission instructions, grades, and announcements. Use this page as the reusable PHYS 202L / PHYS 232L lab hub.
Course Overview
What this lab page is for.
Instructional focus
Physics Lab 2 emphasizes careful setup, measurement, and interpretation in electricity, magnetism, and optical systems.
Instructor contact
For section-specific questions, use Canvas messages or email ahvolk@liberty.edu.
Before you come to lab
- Check Canvas for the assigned experiment, due date, and any instructor notes for your section.
- Read the relevant lab manual pages before class and identify the objective, apparatus, and major procedure steps.
- Review setup diagrams, polarity, alignment, calibration, formulas, and safety notes before touching equipment.
- Bring the required notebook, data sheet, calculator, and any files or printouts requested in Canvas.
- Ask before changing a circuit, optical path, sensor configuration, or unfamiliar equipment setup.
Lab Manual & Resources
Use these materials during preparation and lab day.
The current manual, required files, and section-specific handouts live in Canvas. This page keeps the reusable workflow in one place.
Assigned experiment
Read the Canvas-posted manual before lab and bring the needed pages, notes, or data sheet.
Open CanvasTables and graphs
Record raw measurements with units, instrument settings, and uncertainty notes. Preserve enough detail that the analysis can be checked later.
Equipment setup
Follow the manual and instructor directions exactly before energizing circuits, adjusting magnets, aligning optics, or changing any setup.
Reports & Data Analysis
Make your lab work traceable.
Document the setup
Include circuit diagrams, optical arrangements, instrument settings, units, and any calibration steps needed to understand the data.
Connect observations to theory
Use graphs, slopes, fitted values, or calculated quantities to connect measurements with the expected physical relationship.
Explain limitations
Discuss alignment, calibration, resistance, field effects, reading uncertainty, or other sources that shape the reliability of your result.
Getting help
For due dates, submissions, and section-specific instructions, use Canvas first. For questions about experiment preparation, analysis, or reports, contact Prof. Volk through Canvas or at ahvolk@liberty.edu.